Groups welcome engagement from Carwyn Jones on GM Free Wales

Farmers' Union of Wales
Friends of the Earth Cymru
GM Free Cymru
National Federation of Women's Institutes - Wales

Four groups campaigning for a GM Free Wales have met with Welsh Assembly Environment and Countryside Minister Carwyn Jones to discuss the current situation. The groups: the Farmers' Union of Wales, the National Federation of Women's Institutes - Wales, GM Free Cymru and Friends of the Earth Cymru said that they were pleased that the Minister was seriously considering options open to him.

The meeting, organised by Assembly Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey, considered a range of issues relating to the planting of GM crops in Wales. Matters discussed included:

• The Assembly's role in approving the commercialisation of crops in the UK [1];
• Recent European legal developments allowing "regional" measures to be put in place to protect organic and conventional agriculture from GM contamination;
• UK Government plans to remove our right to a public hearing before GM seeds are listed and put on sale;
• Potential impacts of GM crops on human and animal health;
• Environmental and economic reasons for preventing GM planting in Wales;
• The establishment of a Welsh Advisory group on GM issues.

The meeting comes at an important time as the UK Government's "Public Debate" on GM issues is due to report in late September. The final report into the "Farm Scale Evaluations" of GM crops is also due within weeks.

The decision on whether the first GM seed, the maize ChardonLL, should be made available to UK farmers is now likely to be made jointly by the four UK administrations early next year, Mr Jones told the meeting. The groups present all said that they would continue to oppose authorisation until all the outstanding environmental and health concerns had been resolved.

The groups promised to work with the Assembly Government by providing up to date scientific and other information on GM issues and also by making firm proposals for action.

Julian Rosser, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru commented:

"We were delighted that the Minister engaged so positively with many of the important questions on GM facing the Assembly over the coming months.

"If Carwyn Jones is willing to seriously address our suggestions for Assembly action on this matter then we will do all that we can to work with him and his colleagues to protect our agriculture and environment from GM contamination."

FUW Vice President Brian Walters said he was pleased that the Minister was willing to look positively at the group's proposals:

"Wales can learn a lot from Canada's experience of GM crops," he said. "The FUW recently met Canadian farm leaders who left us in no doubt that GM products have not only failed to produce the promised bumper yields but has also damaged their farming industry's reputation in the eyes of discerning consumers.

"The bottom line is that consumers are shunning GM products in favour of conventionally produced food, and Wales has nothing to gain but a great deal to lose if we follow the GM path," he said.

Rhian Connick, Head of National Federation of Women's Institutes - Wales Office commented:

"In 1999 members of the WI voted overwhelmingly for a five year moratorium on the commercial growing and import of genetically engineered foods. This arose out of the WI members' concern that not enough was known about the impacts that the growing of GM crops would have on the environment or the effect of GM produce on human health. WI members have still to be assured that GM crops and food are safe and until proper research has been completed then Wales should remain GM free."

Gill Rowlands of GM Free Cymru added:

"We came away from the meeting with Carwyn Jones heartened by the fact that the Minister now seems to have the political will to use all means available to him to restrict the planting of GM crops in Wales."

Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey AM commented:

"I am delighted to be able to work with all concerned to ensure that we have an open and honest debate on such a crucial issue. I will continue to work closely with all four groups, especially with regard to my work on the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee."

Note

[1] The first GM seed, ChardonLL, is approaching addition to the UK "National List" of available seed varieties in the face of massive opposition from farming, environmental and consumer groups. The decision to add the seed to the list must be made jointly by the UK Government and the devolved administrations, including the Welsh Assembly. See: www.foe.co.uk/cymru/english/press_releases/ ¬
2003/pants_to_gm.html